Rosaline Van de Weyer

Courses taught:

• Occupational Therapy (Pre-Reg) (Postgraduate)

Rosaline qualified as an occupational therapist in 1998 and has held clinical and research-based roles. She is an advocate for the occupational therapy profession and the benefits it brings to service users.

[email protected]

Background

Prior to joining ARU, Rosaline enjoyed a varied and rewarding occupational therapy career in a range of hospital and community settings, including National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and Cambridge University Hospitals. She completed a MSc Rehabilitation Science at Southampton University and went on to develop an independent specialist occupational therapy assessment service. In that role Rosaline provided regular postgraduate teaching. Rosaline has always enjoyed sharing her passion for occupational therapy and the benefits it can bring. Moving into a formal academic role to teach and research further fulfils this aim.

Research interests

Rosaline is interested in the prevalence of specific learning differences in higher education, namely developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and the support that can be offered to students.

There is little research on the lived experience of DCD, also known as dyspraxia, in adulthood. Subsequently, there is scant evidence for occupational therapy intervention. Therefore, this is also a potential topic for investigation.

In 2023 Rosaline hopes to commence a PhD to contribute to the knowledge base in developmental coordination disorder, to enhance occupational therapy service provision for service users. This research will endeavour to enable service users with developmental coordination disorder, to live with enhanced confidence, happiness, and productivity in their daily occupations.

Areas of expertise

• Occupational therapy theory and practice

• SpLD Developmental Coordination Disorder 

Teaching

Rosaline is the course lead for the MSc Occupational Therapy (Pre-Reg) course and actively contributes to the teaching delivery of this programme. She has direct oversight of the course, supported by practitioner, senior and associate lecturers.

Qualifications

• Rosaline is currently working towards the Post Graduate Certificate in higher education and learning, due for completion 2023
• Expert witness certificate in Family Law & Procedure, Cardiff University, 2016
• Expert witness certificate in Civil Law & Procedure, Cardiff University, 2015
• MSc Rehabilitation Science, University of Southampton, 2004
• BSc Occupational therapy (hons), University of Leeds, 1998

Memberships, editorial boards

• Royal College of Occupational Therapy (RCOT)
• RCOT Young People & Families Specialist section
• RCOT Work specialist section
• Professional Affiliate member of PATOSS
• Member of the Cambridge and Peterborough Integrated Care Services, Allied Health Professionals (AHP) Faculty member. 

Selected recent publications

Christmas, J. and Van de Weyer, R. 2019. Hands on Dyspraxia (DCD): Supporting Young People with Sensory & Motor Challenges 2nd Ed. Routledge, SpeechMark

Hannant P., Cassidy S., Van de Weyer R., Mooncey S. 2018. Sensory and motor differences in Autistic Spectrum Conditions and developmental coordination disorder in children: A cross syndrome study Human Movement Science April vol 58: pp108-118

Van de Weyer RC., Ballinger C., Playford E.D. 2010. Goal setting in neurological rehabilitation: An interdisciplinary team’s perspectives Journal of Disability and Rehabilitation 32, (7) pp1419-1427

Recent presentations and conferences

23.06.2018 Dyspraxia Foundation 30th Anniversary Conference, London. Presented  Occupational Therapy support for adults with Dyspraxia. 

Media experience

06.03.2017: Cambridge 105 Radio with Liz Barker: Dyspraxia UK

07.02.2014: Fixers I’m Dyspraxic Story on ITV news Anglia

14.11.2013: Fixers Dyspraxia Story on ITV news London